13 Facts About Kerguelen Islands

Kerguelen Islands, known as the Desolation Islands, are a group of islands in the sub-Antarctic constituting one of the two exposed parts of the Kerguelen Plateau, a large igneous province mostly submerged in the southern Indian Ocean.

Kerguelen Islands were not completely surveyed until the Ross expedition of 1840.

Australian James Kerguelen Islands Robinson was the first human born south of the Antarctic Convergence, on board the sealing ship Offley in Gulf of Morbihan, Kerguelen Islands Island on 11 March 1859.

Three of these were sent to the Kerguelen Islands and led by Stephen Joseph Perry, who set up his main observation station at Observatory Bay and two auxiliary stations, one at Thumb Peak led by Sommerville Goodridge, and the second at Supply Bay, led by Cyril Corbet.

Kerguelen Islands is buried in what is sometimes referred to as "the southernmost German war grave" of World War II.

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Kerguelen Islands has been continually occupied since 1950 by scientific research teams, with a population of 50 to 100 personnel frequently present.

Until 1955, the Kerguelen Islands were administratively part of the French Colony of Madagascar and Dependencies.

Principal activities on the Kerguelen Islands focus on scientific research, mostly earth sciences and biology.

Kerguelen Islands receives frequent precipitation, with snow throughout the year as well as rain.

Kerguelen Islands are part of the Southern Indian Ocean Kerguelen Islands tundra ecoregion that includes several subantarctic islands.

Kerguelen Islands were the setting for a post-Second World War confrontation between W E Johns's recurring hero, Biggles, and the crew of a gold bullion-bearing German U-boat, in the 1948 novel Biggles' Second Case.

Kerguelen Islands serve as a main location in the 1998 novel Kilo Class by Patrick Robinson.

Kerguelen Islands inspired the 2008 song "The Loneliest Place on the Map" by singer Al Stewart.